Volunteers from the Kentish Stour Countryside Project were out in force last week at Down Bank Site of Special Scientific Interest near Chilham. The chalk downland site which is important for its flowering plants, butterflies and a rare moth has been managed by the KSCP volunteers since the mid-nineties. Last year with financial support from Butterfly Conservation fencing on the site was improved. At the end of each summer livestock are used to graze the site and a small amount of scrub clearance takes place each winter to maintain the chalk grassland. Also last year work was completed by the KSCP volunteers in partnership with the Kent Widllfie Trust on cutting a corridor through woodland at the top of the site to create a flight path to the KWT site of Broadham Down. Following this the black veined moth was seen at Broadham Down for the first time in many years.

The black veined moth only exists in five localities in the UK and all are in the Stour Valley. The KSCP have been working with Natural England (previously English Nature) for many years to manage four of these sites.

Matt Hayes from the KSCP says 'this is a beautiful site and one of the volunteers favourites. It has great views and can be reached by following the Stour Valley Walk link route from Chilham Railway Station'.